Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
X-ray signs to spot early mitral valve disease in dogs
By Stepien, Rebecca L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2020·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Use of radiographic measurements to diagnose stage B2 preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 56 dogs with heart murmurs was examined to see if X-ray measurements of the heart could help diagnose a specific stage of heart disease called stage B2 myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). The study found that measuring the size of the left atrium on X-rays was effective in identifying dogs with this condition, especially when the measurement was 3 vertebral body units (VBUs) or more. This method could be useful for veterinarians when echocardiograms (ultrasound of the heart) are not available. The findings suggest that X-ray measurements can help in diagnosing heart issues in dogs with fewer chances of misdiagnosis.
People also search for: dog heart murmur diagnosis · myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs · dog heart disease X-ray measurements
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of radiographic measures of the left atrium and ventricle as surrogates for echocardiographic criteria in identifying dogs with stage B2 preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). ANIMALS: 56 client-owned dogs with preclinical mitral regurgitation attributed to MMVD examined between April 19, 2016, and November 22, 2017. PROCEDURES: Medical records were retrospectively searched, and data collected included age, body weight, heart murmur grade, and echocardiographic and radiographic measurements. Dogs were grouped according to whether they did (case dogs) or did not (control dogs) meet echocardiographic criteria used to identify dogs with stage B2 MMVD. Measurements for lateral thoracic radiographic variables normalized to vertebral body units (VBUs) were obtained, and results were analyzed to identify variables that could best discriminate between case and control dogs. RESULTS: Three radiographic variables of left atrial size (vertebral left atrial size [VLAS], left atrial width, and the combined variable of VLAS + left atrial width) most accurately distinguished control dogs from case dogs, and the VLAS was the simplest and fastest to perform in a clinical setting. The optimal cutoff for VLAS was 2.5 VBUs (sensitivity, 70%; specificity, 84%; and likelihood ratio, 4.38), with VLAS ≥ 2.5 VBUs for case dogs. The maximum specificity cutoff for VLAS was 3.0 VBUs (sensitivity, 40%; specificity, 96%; and likelihood ratio, 10.0), with VLAS ≥ 3.0 VBUs for case dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that when echocardiography is unavailable, radiographic VLAS ≥ 3 VBUs could be used with minimal risk of false-positive diagnosis of stage B2 MMVD in dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32364449/